The present invention relates generally to new and novel improvements in an amusement device for household pets, such as cats. More particularly, the present invention relates to an amusement device for household pets, such as cats, which is durable and lightweight, economical to fabricate and requires limited floor space, yet provides household pets, such as cats, with exercise, entertainment and amusement.
Household pets, such as cats, which spend the majority of their time indoors, are becoming increasingly popular. In addition, due to the increasingly busy schedules of their owners, such household pets, such as cats, are spending an increasing amount of time alone indoors when their owners are not present. It is well known that household pets, such as cats, are entertained and amused by moving objects, such as rolling balls and simulated mice. In particular, household pets, such as cats, seem to be particularly attracted to moving objects they can maneuver, such as balls of string and other spherical objects which the household pets, such as cats, can propel across the floor. However, a disadvantage of such free-rolling objects is that they often tend to roll underneath household furniture and appliances, such as refrigerators, couches and bookcases, which makes it difficult for household pets, such as cats, as well as their owners, to retrieve the free-rolling object, with the result that an interesting game is suddenly terminated.
There is also a risk that a household pet, such as a cat, will tire of playing with a free-rolling object and abandon the free-rolling object in the middle of a hallway or a room where it suddenly becomes a hazard to an unsuspecting individual who is walking through the area without paying attention to the abandoned free-rolling object on the floor.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of an amusement device for household pets, such as cats, which is durable and lightweight and which requires limited floor space.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an amusement device for household pets, such as cats, which provides the challenge of a moving object, such as one or more balls, which move in a controlled path and which do not become lost or wedged when in a static condition.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by an amusement device for household pets, such as cats, which includes an outer housing preferably fabricated from a transparent or translucent plastic material, the outer housing including a central connecting portion and three (3) outwardly extending arms. Slots are provided in the top and the sides of the three (3) outwardly extending arms to permit a household pet, such as a cat, to reach and move one or more balls positioned therein towards the central connecting portion. The bottom surface of the central connecting portion preferably includes an upwardly extending projection, preferably conical in configuration, which, by gravitation force, tends to roll the one or more balls positioned therein into one of the three (3) outwardly extending arms.